Hereafter
by Romantique
Summary: With the death of a beloved resident, a familiar face returns to Stars Hollow. (A challenge written for the TWoP Ficathon season at www(dot)geocities(dot)com(slash)ficathon2004)


"Hereafter" by Romantique  
  
It was cold and wet, and I was glad to see that the heavy rain turned into a light mist as I stepped out of my car. My spirits felt low, as I unfurled my umbrella and walked across the square. I wondered if it had more to do with the weather, with my ridiculous workload or with the reason why I came back to Stars Hollow.  
  
I hadn't been back to Stars Hollow in over ten years, and it was nice to see that not much had changed. No McDonald's or Starbucks marred its landscape. It felt familiar, but at the same time I felt like a stranger. I laughed at this ridiculous thought as I stopped to look around the square and let a flood of memories hit me all at once. I paused to take a deep breath of the chilly damp air before I continued walking.  
  
The first person I ran into was Rory, who carried a large black umbrella. She wore her hair down, and her bright red wool cap brought out her eyes, which were as striking as I'd remembered.  
  
"Oh my god, how are you? It's so great to see you!" She greeted me with a hug and I was surprised that she'd remembered me. She must have read my mind because she added. "Of course I remember you! Besides, I have a good memory. It's part of my job."  
  
"What is your job?"  
  
Rory smiled as she twirled her umbrella. "Well, I'm keeping pretty busy these days. I'm a producer on 60 Minutes Interactive and I also teach a journalism class at the New School."  
  
"Wow, that's impressive." It sounded like Rory…I remembered hearing about what an overachiever she had been in high school and later in college. All of a sudden, I remembered something I had seen on TV the other day and put two and two together. "Wait a minute, you're Lorelai Jain! You did that story on that terrorist cell in Canada, the one with the undercover agent! That's right, I forgot your birth name is Lorelai…" I remembered seeing that producer name in the credits and thought of her mother, but never imagined that there would actually be a connection there.  
  
Rory nodded. "Oh, you saw that? Yeah, I took my husband's name, much to my grandparents' disappointment. After all, there's only one Lorelai Gilmore and besides, it's kind of like my newsroom persona, you know? But I have to admit, it is kind of funny when people call me Lorelai."  
  
"So you live in New York City?"  
  
"Yeah. Danny – that's my husband – and I have been living on the Upper East Side for the last three years. He's a fashion designer for Halston."  
  
"Is he around?"  
  
"Yeah, he's helping out with some arrangements right now."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about –"  
  
"Thanks. I'm glad you could come to the wake."  
  
"Of course. When I heard the news, I came straight here."  
  
"Yeah, so many people have turned up."  
  
"Well, she's been a part of so many people's lives. I still can't believe she's –"  
  
"Rory!"  
  
I turned around and saw a tall guy with brown hair and earnest eyes. He looked so familiar…  
  
"Dean!" Rory ran up to him and they embraced. All of a sudden, I felt out of place.  
  
Before I knew it, Dean was shaking my hand and introducing me to his wife Nina and their kids Sonia and Paul, both of whom were bundled up head to toe in pink and green fleece respectively.  
  
"Dean, Nina, what have you been feeding these kids? They're so much bigger than I remembered."  
  
"Well, they take after their dad in the height department, that's for sure," said Nina, who looked too young and small to have had such tall children. The oldest, Sonia, was almost as tall as her own mother.  
  
The rain started to pick up again, and Dean noticed this. "Hey, let's go inside where it's dry and catch up some more."  
  
We all headed to Luke's Diner, where the wake was taking place. It was already filled with most of Stars Hollow. There was plenty of food and coffee to go around, more than was really necessary. But I wouldn't have expected anything less from Luke.  
  
My glasses got fogged up as soon as we entered the warm diner, so I took them off to wipe them. Then I heard my name spoken aloud.  
  
"Oh my God, it has been ages since we've seen you around these parts! How are ya?" Babette gave me a great big hug. Her husband gave me a mournful smile. They both looked like they hadn't slept in days.  
  
"I know. I've been meaning to come visit and well –" I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. I couldn't possibly tell Babette the real reason I'd stayed away for so many years. All of Stars Hollow would be sure to know it all before sunrise. "Anyway, when I heard the news, I knew I had to come."  
  
"I'm glad you did. It's so good to see so many friends." Babette dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.  
  
"Babette, have you seen Luke?" It was strange to be in his diner and be surrounded by his cooking, without having seen him at all.  
  
"Oh, he had some kind of emergency to take care of," replied Morey. "But don't worry, he said it wasn't anything that serious," he added in response to my look of worry. "He should be back soon."  
  
"You're not eating anything!" exclaimed Babette. "Come on, you have got to try these quesadillas."  
  
"Quesadillas?" I was surprised. "Luke makes these now?"  
  
"Uh-huh," said Babette. "You should take a look at the menu…he actually changes it up season to season now. We're in the thick of the Mexican/Southwestern season…he probably figured it'd take people's minds off the cold, at least for a little while."  
  
I tasted one of the quesadillas, which was still warm. It was delicious, not too spicy and not too bland. "Mmm, this is amazing."  
  
"What'd I tell you?"  
  
Suddenly, the door blew open and in walked Luke with a small boy in his arms. "We're back," he bellowed, as he put the boy on the counter.  
  
I looked at the boy, and realized he was Luke's son. They had the same eyes and mouth, and there was something familiar about his nose. Probably his mother's. It always fascinated me how people could both be a composite of their parents and yet remain an individual. This little boy, I could already tell, was quite a character. There was a fresh cast on his leg, but his eyes were brimming with mischief, as he scanned the room.  
  
"Luke, what happened? Hey, Joe." Rory rushed up to the counter and gave Joe a hug.  
  
"What's up, Rory?" Joe smiled up at her.  
  
"Someone had a nasty spill at a hockey game this morning. We just got back from the hospital," said Luke, as he handed a glass of water to Joe. "He was a real trouper, weren't you, kiddo?"  
  
"Rory, you gonna sign my cast?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
As soon as I approached the counter, Rory introduced me to Joe. What struck me was his perfect complexion and blue eyes framed by long lush lashes…why wasn't he a child model? But wait, this is Luke's son, he would never stand for that. Was it possible to fall in love with a little boy? I smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"Wow, I almost didn't recognize you with those glasses!" Luke came up to me and gave me a bear hug. "It's been way too long. How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. And it's great to see you, see everybody."  
  
His face grew serious. "So. How'd you hear the news?"  
  
"Believe it or not, it was one of my co-workers who pointed out the obituary in the Times. I came right over as soon as I heard…"  
  
"Of course you did. You –"  
  
Squeals of laughter interrupted us as the door opened again with another dark-haired boy with a flawless complexion carrying in boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. He was laughing and breathless, with his bright blue eyes flashing with triumph. "Ha! I beat you, Mom!"  
  
"Hey, wait, no fair, you had a head start!" His mother followed close behind him, her arms also laden with Krispy Kreme boxes.  
  
"So that's where you two were," said Luke crossing his arms.  
  
"It was Mom's fault. She insisted!" said the boy, grinning.  
  
"What? Et tu, brute? What blasphemy! I seem to recall some very sad begging for glazed doughnut goodness for dessert, some heavy persuasion about there being a Krispy Kreme on the way home from the hospital." After dropping the boxes on a nearby table, she playfully punched her son on the arm and rushed over to the counter. She gave Joe a kiss. "How's my brave little guy? You okay?"  
  
Joe took a sip of water and smiled up at her. "Better, Mommy."  
  
"Good." She gave him another kiss on the forehead as she barked at Luke. "Coffee! My kingdom for a cup of coffee!"  
  
"Could you can it with the Shakespeare already?" Luke pushed a mug of coffee toward her, and she kissed the tip of his nose as a thank you.  
  
One of the most important things I've learned on the job is observing just how much gets communicated non-verbally through touches and looks. I saw how they looked at each other for the briefest of moments and saw how little had changed between them. I remembered seeing this connection between them before they ever came to an understanding, and I was happy to see how on the mark I had been.  
  
After taking a long sip of coffee, she turned around to look at me, as if she was aware that I was watching her interact with everyone in the diner. A few seconds elapsed, before recognition washed over her face. She put down her coffee and rushed over to embrace me. "I am so happy to see you! What took you so long to visit?"  
  
I shrugged, as I smiled back at her. I couldn't tell her the real reason. That I was afraid that confronting the past would be too painful and awkward. And yet I realized in that moment when I looked into her eyes, that my fears were completely ridiculous and unfounded. It was such a joy to see them both happy with each other and with their kids.  
  
"Well, it's about time you returned to Stars Hollow." She had her hands on her hips, and it amazed how very much the same she looked.  
  
"Okay, even if you have to lie to me, just tell me you've gotten surgery or Botox because it is not fair that you haven't aged since the last time I saw you!"  
  
She laughed. "Look who's talking! For a sec there, I almost didn't recognize you with those glasses, but you haven't changed either. Hey, have you met the boys? They're all the Botox I need!"  
  
Before I could reply, she dragged me over to the counter where Joe was sitting and she introduced me to Liam, the doughnut box boy, but when she tried to introduce Joe, he insisted that he had already been introduced to me.  
  
"Okay, okay! I tell you, Joe may be six and a half, but—"  
  
"Actually, it's six and seven-twelfths."  
  
"Oh, yeah, it feels more like you're forty sometimes!" She tickled him as he said this, and he giggled, half-heartedly begging her to stop.  
  
"Mom, where's my chocolate milk?" asked Liam, as he tugged on her coat sleeve.  
  
"Chocolate milk? What chocolate milk?"  
  
"Mom…" said Liam, with a downward intonation that expressed both exasperation and amusement.  
  
It was fun to watch her tease her kids, and watching how they reacted. They were somehow both surprised and not surprised all at once.  
  
"See, if I hadn't grabbed it out of the cup holder," she said, brandishing a shiny plastic bottle of chocolate milk out of her coat pocket, "someone would have had to go back out into the cold to the car to get it."  
  
"Thanks, Mom," said Liam, holding out his hand for the bottle. She didn't let go at first.  
  
"Well, I'll need something in return. Ah, that's better." She released the bottle after Liam gave her a kiss on the cheek. She took her coat off and pulled out another bottle. "I didn't forget about you," she said, as she handed it to Joe.  
  
His reaction spoke more than any actual words could. Joe looked up at her as if she were a goddess or a magician casting a spell. In response, as if to remind him that it was nothing at all, she mussed up his hair affectionately.  
  
"It's not as if we don't have chocolate milk here," Luke complained.  
  
"But it's not Krispy Kreme chocolate milk! Come on, lighten up a little. It's a wake! Are you still traumatized by the emergency room?" She turned to me. "Oh, you should've seen him there. I was wondering if I needed to get him checked by the doctors too."  
  
"Yeah well, he's never liked hospitals." I remembered how uncomfortable he was when we had visited his father in the hospital so many years ago. He couldn't get out of there fast enough.  
  
"Hey, where's your camera? Are you still taking pictures?"  
  
"Of course I am. In fact, I've been taking pictures all this time." I tapped my glasses.  
  
"What? Do you have some hidden photographer somewhere?"  
  
"No, it's my glasses. I don't wear them for my eyesight, they're the latest state-of-the-art digital camera." I took them off, and showed her my glasses and the shutter mechanism on the frames that was triggered remotely with my wristwatch. I had probably already taken over a hundred exposures.  
  
"Wow, it's like spy equipment or something."  
  
"Ooh, can I see?" Soon everyone was milling around me, curious to see how my glasses worked. I pulled out my portable computer from a pocket and showed them the pictures I had taken so far. Everyone was astonished at how good the pictures looked.  
  
"Wow, it's like we're looking at the world through your eyes!" exclaimed Dean, who examined the glasses more closely. This was precisely why I loved this particular piece of technology.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a group of little girls dressed in pink tutus with little halos attached to their heads rushed in, followed by a man who I had never seen before. Rory rushed up to him and they kissed, while one of the girls ran directly over to me. I wondered if this was their daughter.  
  
She held out her hand, and I was still a little stunned at her directness. "Hello, who are you? My name is Anna." As I looked into her blue eyes, I realized right away that this was yet another addition to the Danes family.  
  
I shook her hand as I gave her my name. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Anna smiled. "Are you my mommy's friend or Miss Patty's friend?"  
  
Her mother swept Anna into her arms and kissed her. "She's both, sweetie. Anna may be the youngest, but she's definitely the most social of the bunch, way more than Rory ever was."  
  
"Hey, I heard that!" said Rory, as she gave Anna a kiss on the cheek. "You look like a pink angel."  
  
"I know," replied Anna. "I'm supposed to."  
  
Rory introduced her husband to me, and he went over to Dean and Nina, giving them and their kids all hugs.  
  
Taylor then walked in and cleared his throat. He looked older, but he still had that self-important gleam in his eyes. "Thank you everyone for coming. While this is a sad occasion, she did insist that we hold this wake and have no eulogies. She only wanted to have one final performance by her last ballet class. So let us honor Miss Patty's last wishes."  
  
He paused as all the little ballerinas, including Anna, gathered in the middle of the diner where tables and chairs had been cleared.  
  
"Kirk, the music," said Taylor, as a tall, gangly-looking man in the back pushed some buttons on an old MP3 boombox.  
  
I crouched down, my glasses at the ready, as I took photos of the dancers. Anna did a little solo just before the big finale, and the entire diner erupted in applause.  
  
The rest of the day passed quickly with reminiscences and stories and I realized that I probably had enough photos to keep me occupied for weeks. I watched how Dean and Nina's kids played with Luke and Lorelai's kids, while all the adults laughed and told stories, and I knew Miss Patty was somehow there in spirit.  
  
I watched Anna pulling at Luke's arm to come and sit with her and the other kids, and I couldn't help but be transported back over forty years ago to the first time I saw Miss Patty. I was nervous, holding my father's hand tightly as we stepped into her dance studio.  
  
"It's okay, Rachel, I won't hurt you. You can let go now."  
  



End file.
